Xinjiang cotton demonstrates vitality, resilience

URUMQI -- Is Xinjiang cotton taboo for international traders? For some, perhaps. However, the 9th China-Eurasia Expo, which ended on Monday, showed global buyers that the region's cotton and textile industry is remarkably vibrant and resilient.

Before entering the grand exhibition center in Urumqi, capital of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, I learned that the expo had set up a dedicated textile area where visitors could see the full industrial chain, from cotton seeds to finished cotton products like socks, bed sheets and shirts. Rows of cotton bolls were also used as decorations at the expo.

During the five-day event, official delegates from various countries, visiting buyers and Urumqi residents flocked to the textile zone. Cotton-themed displays were not confined to that area; they could be seen across many other halls.

In the New Quality Productive Forces and Artificial Intelligence section, I observed intelligent field-management robots that perform laser-based cotton topping, replacing manual labor.

Booths from various prefectures and cities across Xinjiang, especially those strong in cotton-related industries, also displayed giant cotton pickers and intelligent cotton field management robots.

In mid-June, a Xinjiang-based agricultural machinery maker announced that a batch of custom-built cotton pickers, specially tailored to the cotton planting patterns of Central Asian countries, was being shipped to Uzbekistan.

Through information boards and video displays, visitors to the expo could learn more about the high-quality cotton produced across Xinjiang and the region's advanced cotton processing capabilities.

Such comprehensive cotton-themed exhibitions stand in stark contrast to the biased stigmatization of Xinjiang cotton spread by some external forces.

Though a handful of politicians and self-styled think tanks have repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims to smear Xinjiang's entire cotton industrial chain and have tried hard to block Xinjiang's cotton textile products from entering global markets, their malicious efforts have come to nothing.

Xinjiang has long prioritized the high-quality development of its cotton and textile industry.

In 2025, the autonomous region's cotton output accounted for more than 90 percent of China's total. Its cotton and textile products enjoy wide popularity and influence both at home and abroad.

The regional outline of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30) calls for improving the quality and competitiveness of cotton, consolidating and enhancing the quality and efficiency of the textile industry, vigorously expanding overseas markets, and accelerating the development of a textile and apparel processing base oriented toward westward exports.

Most of those who view Xinjiang cotton with bias have never set foot in Xinjiang. They are welcome to events like the expo to see for themselves how the cotton fields and factories operate.

At the expo, staff from textile firms livestreamed from their booths, promoting cotton shirts, socks and other items — their interactions brimming with pride in the quality of Xinjiang cotton.

In recent years, despite discriminatory market barriers targeting Xinjiang cotton textiles in some regions, a growing number of entrepreneurs and investors have come to Xinjiang to invest in the cotton textile sector, creating more jobs and raising incomes for locals.

Many exhibitors, in interviews, highlighted the strong resilience of Xinjiang's cotton industry and their firm confidence in the sector's unique competitive advantages.

Zhu Congxin, who set up a factory in Aksu prefecture after moving from the coastal city of Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, last year, said the new factory's proximity to both raw material bases and Central Asian markets has greatly cut operational costs and broadened market prospects.

Aksu boasts one of Xinjiang's most concentrated textile and garment industrial clusters, with a complete industrial chain integrating spinning, weaving, printing and dyeing, as well as apparel and home textile processing.

Wang Yang, deputy general manager of Xinjiang Tangjin Textile, a well-known sock manufacturer, said the company has participated in the China-Eurasia Expo for three consecutive years, using the platform to expand its global vision and international footprint.

The firm now produces more than 2 million pairs of socks daily, maintains long-term cooperation with over 100 global partners, and sells to more than 20 countries and regions, according to Wang.

He added that the enterprise has fully recovered from the impact of previous false narratives aimed at curbing Xinjiang cotton, and is determined to root its business in Xinjiang, produce high-quality socks, and help further grow the industry.

As visitors wrapped up their expo tour this year, one message resonated strongly: cotton is not only a source of pride for the region, but also a lifeline for many cotton farmers and textile workers, who drive the industry forward with their great resilience.